Journal device which facilitates retrieval of data printed on journal paper

ABSTRACT

A journal device including a printing unit for printing journal data on journal paper, as well as printing a retrieval mark indicative of information specifying the journal data, an operation unit for specifying jour data to be retrieved and designating information represented by a retrieval mark, a reading unit for reading a retrieval mark printed on journal paper to extract information represented by the retrieval mark, a printer control unit for receiving input of information extracted by the reading unit and collating the information with information designated by the operation unit to retrieve a retrieval mark containing target information, and first and second take-up means for running the journal paper with printing processing and retrieval processing of journal data and a retrieval mark.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a journal device which is to beconnected for use with such product sales data processing devices as anECR (Electronic Cash Register) and a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal toprint data accompanying product sales on journal paper and, moreparticularly, to a journal device which facilitates retrieval of printeddata.

2. Description of the Related Art

Journal devices are units which are to be connected for use with productsales data processing devices such as an ECR and a POS to print data(date of sale, product name, price, the number of products sold, etc.)accompanying product sales on journal paper and which mainly include adriving unit for taking up and running journal paper and a printing unitfor printing data on the journal paper. Conventional journal devices ingeneral have no function of retrieving journal data printed on journalpaper. For retrieving journal data, therefore, journal paper taken up bya driving unit should be manually unrolled and forwarded to retrievetarget data while checking data one by one.

However, a common journal paper is as long as 40 to 50 meters on which500 to 800 data is recorded. Manual data retrieval therefore needsenormous labor and costs enormous time to find target data.

To reduce the above-described labor required for manually retrievingjournal data and cut down a retrieval time, a journal device whichautomatically retrieves journal data is proposed in Japanese PatentLaying-Open (Kokai) No. Heisei 6-251255, entitled "Product Sales DataProcessing Device". Structure of the journal device disclosed in thisliterature is shown in FIG. 9. A print example on a surface of journalpaper on which data is printed by the journal device is shown in FIG.10(a), while a print example on the reverse side of the journal paper isshown in FIG. 10(b).

With reference to FIG. 9, the conventional journal device recited in theliterature includes a printing unit 308a for printing product data, aretrieval mark forming means 308b for printing a retrieval mark for usein retrieving journal data on journal paper, and a sensor 311 for use inthe retrieval of journal data to detect a retrieval mark 331 attached tothe journal paper by the retrieval mark forming means 308b.

Operation of thus structured conventional journal device will bedescribed.

When sales data is transmitted from an ECR or a POS to the journaldevice, a driving means of the journal device takes up journal paper 321to run the same. The printing unit 308a prints the transmitted salesdata on a new area appearing on the journal paper 321 being taken up.Upon completion of the printing of the sales data, the retrieval markforming means 308b prints the retrieval mark 331 at a position behindthe printed sales data as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and (b). Thereafter, asnew sales data is printed, the journal paper on which sales data isprinted further runs to be taken up by a take-up unit 313.

At the time of retrieval of journal data printed on the journal paper,the taken up journal paper 321 on which data is printed is set to amounting unit 312, the tip of the journal paper 321 is rolled around thetake-up unit 313 and a retrieval start instruction is transmitted fromthe ECR or the POS. Upon reception of the retrieval start instruction bythe journal device, the journal paper 321 is taken up from the mountingunit 312 by the take-up unit 313 to run. At this time, the markdetecting sensor 311 monitors passage of a retrieval mark attached tothe journal paper. Then, upon detection of the retrieval mark 331 by themark detecting sensor 311, the journal device stops the running of thejournal paper 321 to enter a data ascertainment state.

However, since a retrieval mark printed on journal paper by theabove-described conventional journal device is of one kind, every timethe mark detecting sensor detects the retrieval mark, the journal paperstops running to require ascertainment of the contents. Take-up of thejournal paper and ascertainment of the contents therefore should berepeated until target data is found. In other words, while running andforwarding the journal paper is automatically conducted, checking dataone by one is similarly conducted to the manual retrieval by theabove-described journal device with no automatic retrieval function. Asa result, it will take a long time to find target data.

In addition, since journal paper take-up direction is limited to onedirection, retrieving data on journal paper in use needs the journalpaper to be cut off in the middle of it and to be set again to amounting unit and a take-up unit. This procedure requires much labor forretrieval.

A further disadvantage is that when journal paper is cut off in themiddle of it, resetting the remaining part of the journal paper notprinted to the mounting unit and the take-up unit results in generationof an useless part on the reset journal paper which will be taken up bythe take-up unit without printing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a journal devicecapable of quickly retrieving target journal data among numerous journaldata printed on journal paper.

Another object of the present invention, in addition to theabove-described object, is to provide a journal device which is allowedto quickly shift from journal data recording processing to retrievalprocessing without resetting journal paper.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a journal devicewhich automatically returns to a recording position of journal datarecorded last after the retrieval of journal data to quickly shift fromjournal data retrieval processing to recording processing.

According to one aspect of the invention, the journal device forprinting data accompanying product sales on journal paper, comprises

printing means for printing journal data on the journal paper, as wellas printing a retrieval mark indicative of information specifying thejournal data,

information designating means for specifying journal data to beretrieved among the journal data printed on the journal paper anddesignating information represented by the retrieval mark,

information extracting means for reading the retrieval mark printed onthe journal paper to extract information represented by the readretrieval mark,

retrieval means for receiving input of information extracted by theinformation extracting means and collating the information withinformation designated by the information designating means to retrievea retrieval mark containing target information, and

journal paper running means for running the journal paper under thecontrol of the retrieval means with the printing processing of thejournal data and the retrieval mark by the printing means and thereading processing of the retrieval mark by the information extractingmeans.

The retrieval mark may be a bar code representing a sequence of numbersindicative of information specifying the journal data.

The retrieval mark may be a series of symbols in which specific symbolsdenoting the contents of the information are disposed at a positionspecified by each kind of information specifying the journal data.

In the preferred construction, after printing the journal data, theprinting means prints the retrieval mark corresponding to the printedjournal data below the printing position of the journal data.

In the preferred construction, before printing the journal data, theprinting means prints the retrieval mark corresponding to journal datato be printed above the printing position of the journal data.

In another preferred construction, the journal paper running meansincludes two journal paper take-up means which drive individually, oneof the take-up means taking up set the journal paper to run the journalpaper in two directions, a direction from one take-up means to the othertake-up means and its opposite direction, and when retrieving thejournal data recorded on the journal paper in use, the retrieval meanscontrols the journal paper running means to run the journal paper in thedirection opposite to the running direction of the journal paper at thetime of printing of the journal data.

In another preferred construction, when the device proceeds from theprocessing of retrieving the journal data to the printing processing,the retrieval means, by storing information represented by the retrievalmark corresponding to the journal data recorded last and collatinginformation extracted by the information extracting means with thestored information, controls the journal paper running means to run thejournal paper up to a recording position of the journal data recordedlast.

In the above-mentioned construction, the journal paper running meansincludes two journal paper take-up means which drive individually, oneof the take-up means taking up set the journal paper to run the journalpaper in two directions, a direction from one take-up means to the othertake-up means and its opposite direction, and when the device proceedsfrom the processing of retrieving the journal data to the printingprocessing, the retrieval means, by storing information represented bythe retrieval mark corresponding to the journal data recorded last andcollating information extracted by the information extracting means withthe stored information, controls the journal paper running means to runthe journal paper up to a recording position of the last recordedjournal data.

In the preferred construction, the journal paper running means includestwo journal paper take-up means which drive individually, one of thetake-up means taking up set the journal paper to run the journal paperin two directions, a direction from one take-up means to the othertake-up means and its opposite direction, and the retrieval means, whenretrieving the journal data recorded on the journal paper in use,controls the journal paper running means to run the journal paper in thedirection opposite to the running direction of the journal paper at thetime of printing of the journal data, and when the device proceeds fromthe processing of retrieving the journal data to the printingprocessing, by storing information represented by the retrieval markcorresponding to the journal data recorded last and collatinginformation extracted by the information extracting means with thestored information, controls the journal paper running means to run thejournal paper up to a recording position of the journal data recordedlast.

Also, the journal device may further comprise communication means to beconnected with a host device which executes various processingaccompanying product sales, wherein besides the information designatingmeans, communication from the host device specifies journal data to beretrieved among the journal data printed on the journal paper anddesignates information represented by the retrieval mark.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome clear from the detailed description given herebelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood more fully from the detaileddescription given herebelow and from the accompanying drawings of thepreferred embodiment of the invention, which, however, should not betaken to be limitative to the invention, but are for explanation andunderstanding only.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing structure of a journal deviceaccording to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a print example of journal data and aretrieval mark according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one example of a retrieval mark.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing operation of journal data printingprocessing according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5A is a flow chart showing operation of journal data retrievalprocessing according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5B is a flow chart showing operation of journal data retrievalprocessing according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another print example of journal data and aretrieval mark according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing operation of journal data printingprocessing according to the present embodiment which is to be conductedto obtain the printing result illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a further print example of journal data anda retrieval mark according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a main part of structure of aconventional journal device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conventional print example of journaldata and a retrieval mark.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be discussedhereinafter in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Inthe following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Itwill be obvious, however, to those skilled in the art that the presentinvention may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstance, well-known structures are not shown in detail in order tounnecessarily obscure the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing structure of a journal deviceaccording to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is adiagram showing one example of a print result obtained by a journaldevice 10 of the present embodiment.

As illustrated in the figure, the journal device 10 of the presentembodiment includes a printer control unit 20 for controlling operationof each unit of the device, a printer driver 30 and a sensor driver 40,an operation unit 50 for receiving input of data and commands, acommunication interface unit 60 to be connected with a host device suchas an ECR or a POS, a driving unit 70 for taking up journal paper to runthe same, a first take-up unit 120 and a second take-up unit 130, aprinting unit 80 for printing journal data and a retrieval mark onjournal paper, a first residue sensor 90 for retrieving a retrieval markrecorded on the journal paper, a second residue sensor 100 and a readingunit 110. In FIG. 1, illustration is made only of a characteristic partof the structure of the present embodiment and that of the remainingcommon part is omitted.

In the above-described structure, the printer control unit 20, which isimplemented by a program-controlled CPU, controls the printer driver 30,the sensor driver 40, the operation unit 50 and the communicationinterface unit 60 to receive and transmit data and make necessarydetermination, thereby controlling the entire operation of the journaldevice 10.

The printer driver 30, which is implemented by a program-controlled CPU,controls operation of the driving unit 70, the printing unit 80, thefirst take-up unit 120 and the second take-up unit 130 under the controlof the printer control unit 20.

The sensor driver 40, which is implemented by a program-controlled CPU,monitors the state of the first residue sensor 90 and the second residuesensor 100 to notify the printer control unit 20 under the control ofthe printer control unit 20, as well as controlling operation of thereading unit 110 and notifying the printer control unit 20 of data readby the reading unit 110.

The operation unit 50, which is implemented by an input device such as akeyboard, is provided with a key for setting a key word for use inretrieving journal data and for inputting instructions to startretrieval of a retrieval mark and take up journal paper.

The driving unit 70, which is controlled by the printer driver 30, is amechanism unit for driving the first take-up unit 120 and the secondtake-up unit 130 to take up journal paper and has a driving system forcontrolling operation of the first take-up unit 120 and the secondtake-up unit 130. The first take-up unit 120 and the second take-up unit130 each have a driving shaft to which a roll of journal paper is setand rotate under the control of the driving unit 70 to take up thejournal paper. The roll of the journal paper is set to one of thedriving shafts of the first take-up unit 120 and the second take-up unit130 and taken up to the other side. Because both of the first take-upunit 120 and the second take-up unit 130 are structured to drive, thejournal paper will run in both of the direction from the first take-upunit 120 to the second take-up unit 130 and the opposite direction fromthe second take-up unit 130 to the first take-up unit 120. In thefollowing description, the former direction will be referred to as aforward direction and the latter direction will be referred to as abackward direction. For example, when the journal paper roll set to thefirst take-up unit 120 is taken up by the second take-up unit 130 atordinary journal data printing, the journal paper running direction willbe a forward direction. That for retrieving journal data alreadyrecorded on the journal paper will be a backward direction.

The printing unit 80, which is controlled by the printer driver 30, is amechanism unit for printing journal data sent from a host device and theretrieval mark 142 for use in retrieving journal data on the journalpaper.

The first residue sensor 90 is a sensor provided at the first take-upunit 120 to monitor residue of the journal paper set to or taken up bythe first take-up unit 120. The second residue sensor 100 is a sensorprovided at the second take-up unit 130 to monitor residue of thejournal paper set to or taken up by the second take-up unit 130. Thefirst residue sensor 90 and the second residue sensor 100, which can beimplemented by a photo sensor or a mechanical sensor, for example,notify the sensor driver 40 according to the residue of the journalpaper.

The reading unit 11, which is implemented by a photo sensor, forexample, monitors the journal paper run by its take-up by the first orthe second take-up unit 120 or 130 and reads the printed retrieval mark142 to transmit contents data of the retrieval mark 142 to the sensordriver 40.

With reference to the print result shown in FIG. 2, an area A--A injournal paper 140 represents data recorded corresponding to onetransaction. As shown in the figure, recorded in the area A--A are thejournal data 141 and the retrieval mark 142. The journal data 141 is thesame as the journal data recorded at a conventional journal device.Recorded as the journal data are date of transaction, the receiptnumber, specifications of transaction, the amount of transaction, etc.

The retrieval mark 142, which is a mark to be a retrieval object at theretrieval of the journal data 141, is recorded below the correspondingjournal data 141 as illustrated in the figure and includes informationregarding the corresponding journal data 141 such as recorded date, thejournal number, the operator number and an operate code. These data areused as key data for retrieval.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a bar code used as theretrieval mark 142. The retrieval mark 142 shown in FIG. 3 representsinformation, which is to be denoted by the retrieval mark, by a sequenceof numbers, which sequence is denoted as a bar code. The operator numberis for specifying a person in charge of the transaction. The operatecode represents the contents of the transaction. Fixed code numbers arerecorded according to the contents of transaction such as "01" forsettlement of account in cash, "02" for settlement by a credit card,"03" for settlement by a prepaid card, "04" for settlement by a giftcertificate and "05" for money exchange.

Next, operation of the present embodiment will be described withreference to flow charts shown in FIG. 4 and FIGS. 5A and 5B.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing operation of the journal device of thepresent embodiment for printing journal data on journal paper. Withreference to FIG. 4, first, the journal data 141 and data for use ingenerating the retrieval mark 142 are transmitted from an ECR or a POSas a host device and the journal device 10 receives the data via thecommunication interface unit 60 (Step 401).

The journal device 10 which has received the journal data 141 and thedata for generating the retrieval mark 142 gives an instruction to starttake-up of the journal paper 140 and printing from the printer controlunit 20 to the printer driver 30 (Step 402). The printer driver 30operates the driving unit 70 and the second take-up unit 130 to take upthe journal paper 140 from the first take-up unit 120 to the secondtake-up unit 130 and run the paper in the forward direction.

The printer driver 30 sends the printing start instruction, the journaldata 141 to be printed and the data for generating the retrieval mark142 to the printing unit 80. Then, the printing unit 80 prints thejournal data 141 on the journal paper 140 (Step 403) and subsequentlyprints the retrieval mark 142 based on the data for generating theretrieval mark 142 (Step 404).

After the completion of the printing of the retrieval mark 142, the datarelated to the printed retrieval mark 142 is stored in a storage means(e.g. internal memory) of the printer control unit 20 (Step 405) to stoptake-up of the journal paper 140 (Step 406). The data in the storageunit is overwritten and erased every time new data is stored.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are flow charts showing operation of retrieving journaldata already recorded on journal paper. Initially at the execution ofthe operation, the journal device 10 is switched to a journal dataretrieving mode by the instruction from a host device or by theoperation of the operation unit 50 of the journal device 10. Thereafter,with reference to FIG. 5, first, selection is made whether the journaldata 141 as a retrieval object is to be retrieved from the journal paper140 in use, that is, the journal paper 140 set to the first or thesecond take-up unit 120 or 130, or from the stored journal paper 140whose entire storage area has already recorded the journal data 141(Step 501). When the journal data 141 is to be retrieved from thejournal paper 140 in use, a retrieval key word is subsequently input inresponse to an instruction from the host device or by the operation ofthe operation unit 50 (Step 504).

On the other hand, when the journal data 141 is to be retrieved from thestored journal paper 140, the journal paper 140 in use is first takenout from the first and the second take-up units 120 and 130. Then, thejournal paper 140 on which the journal data 141 is to be retrieved isset to the second take-up unit 130 and the tip of the journal paper isrolled around the first take-up unit 120 (Step 502). Consequently, whenthe second residue sensor 100 recognizes the existence of the journalpaper and the first residue sensor 90 recognizes non-existence ofjournal paper, a SET parameter is set to "1 (initial value)" (Step 503).This SET parameter enables distinction between retrieval of the journaldata 141 from the stored journal paper 140 and retrieval of the journaldata 141 from the journal paper 140 in use. After thus setting thejournal paper 140, a retrieval key word is input in response to aninstruction from the host device or by the operation of the operationunit 50 (Step 504).

Key words can be arbitrarily selected and set among date, time, thejournal number, the operator number and an operate code which areinformation items recorded in the retrieval mark 142. With "date" set asa key word, for example, the journal data 141 recorded on that date canbe retrieved, while with "operate code" set as a key word, the journaldata 141 having transaction contents denoted by that operate code can beretrieved. A plurality of key words may be set such as "date, operatornumber, operate code". Setting key words of all the items enablesdetection of target journal data 141 in one retrieval.

Upon input of a retrieval key word, the first take-up unit 120 drives bythe control of the driving unit 70, so that the journal paper 140 runsin the backward direction from the second take-up unit 130 to the firsttake-up unit 120 (Step 505). Then, the reading unit 11 reads data of theretrieval mark 142 which passes through as the journal paper 140 runs(Step 506).

The data contained in the retrieval mark 142 read by the reading unit110 is sent to the printer control unit 20 via the sensor driver 40 andcollated with the retrieval key word input in advance at the printercontrol unit 20 (Step 507). As a result of the collation, when none ofthe data of the read retrieval mark 142 contains the key word input inadvance, take-up of the journal paper 140 and reading of the retrievalmark 142 will be continued.

On the other hand, as a result of the collation, when the read datacontains the key word, take-up of the journal paper 140 is stopped (Step508) and the user ascertains the journal data 141 printed on the journalpaper 140 (Step 509). As a result of the ascertainment, if the journaldata 141 is not target data, take-up of the journal paper 140 andreading of the retrieval mark 142 will be resumed by the operation ofthe operation unit 50 or in response to an instruction from the hostdevice (Step 510).

As a result of the ascertainment by the user, if the journal data 141 istarget data, desired information is obtained from the journal data 141(Step 511). Then, the operation unit 50 or the host device givesinstructions to finish retrieval (Step 512).

The printer control unit 20 of the journal device 10 which has receivedthe retrieval finishing instruction ascertains the value of the SETparameter set at the start of the retrieval (Step 513). When the valueof the SET parameter is "1" which indicates retrieval from the storedjournal paper 140, take-up of the journal paper 140 is started in thedirection from the first take-up unit 120 to the second take-up unit130, opposite to the running direction at the time of the retrieval(Step 514). Then, when the first residue sensor 90 senses the journalpaper 140 rolled around the first take-up unit 120 being completelytaken up, takeup of the journal paper 141 is stopped (Steps 515 and519). Thereafter, the user takes out the journal paper 140 taken up bythe second take-up unit 130 from the journal device 10 and stores thepaper.

On the other hand, when the value of the SET parameter ascertained inresponse to the retrieval finishing instruction indicates retrieval fromthe journal paper 140 in use, take-up of the journal paper 140 isstarted in the direction from the first take-up unit 120 to the secondtake-up unit 130, opposite to the running direction at the time of theretrieval (Step 516). As the journal paper 140 runs, the reading unit110 reads the retrieval mark 142 and sends data indicated by the readretrieval mark 142 to the printer control unit 20 via the sensor driver40 (Step 517). The printer control unit 20 collates the received readdata with the data of the retrieval mark 142 stored at the time ofrecording of the journal data 141 (see FIG. 4, Step 405). Then, untilthe read data coincides with the stored data, data of the retrievalmarks 142 read one after another by the reading unit 110 aresequentially collated with the stored data, and when they coincide witheach other, take-up of the journal paper 140 is stopped at the positionin question, that is, the position where the latest journal data 141 isrecorded (Steps 518, 519). Thereafter, new journal data 141 will berecorded after the journal data 141 in question.

As described in the foregoing, the journal device 10 of the presentembodiment is structured such that at the time of recording of thejournal data 141 on the journal paper 140, the retrieval mark 142 foruse in the retrieval of the journal data 141 in question is at the sametime recorded, and at the time of retrieval of the journal data 141, keydata to be specified by the retrieval mark 142 is designated to read theretrieval mark 142 while automatically taking up the journal paper 140,and upon detection of the retrieval mark 142 containing the specifiedkey data, the running of the journal paper 140 is stopped, whereby thejournal paper 140 never stop at other place than target journal data 141to enable efficient retrieval of target data.

In addition, provision of two take-up units 120 and 130 having drivingmeans allows the journal paper 140 to run by its take-up in twodirections, forward and backward directions. This facilitates retrievalof the journal data 141 recorded on the journal paper 140 being used. Itis also possible to return the journal paper 140 to the position ofjournal data 141 recorded last after desired retrieval and accordinglypossible to record the subsequent journal data 141 thereafter, whichenables efficient use of the journal paper 141.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of a print result obtainedby the journal device 10 of the present embodiment.

With reference to the print result of FIG. 6, an area B--B on journalpaper 150 represents data recorded corresponding to one transaction. Asshown in the figure, the area B-B has a retrieval mark 152 printed abovejournal data 151. The contents of the journal data 151 and the retrievalmark 152 are the same as those of the journal data 141 and the retrievalmark 142 as the print result shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing operation of the journal device 10 at thetime of recording of the journal data 151 and the retrieval mark 152 asillustrated in FIG. 6. With reference to FIG. 7, the operation is almostthe same as the operation shown in the flow chart of FIG. 4, with onlythe difference being that the printing unit 80 prints the journal data151 after printing the retrieval mark 152 under the control of theprinter driver 30 (Steps 703 and 704).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing one example of a print result obtained whenthe retrieval mark 142 is recorded not as a bar code but as aspecifically determined symbol.

With reference to the print result of FIG. 8, an area C--C on journalpaper 160 represents data recorded corresponding to one transaction. Asshown in the figure, the area C--C has a retrieval mark 162 printedbelow journal data 161. The retrieval mark 162 is formed by arranging,at a position specified according to a kind of information forretrieval, specific graphic symbols denoting the contents of theinformation. In the illustrated example, a series of four graphicsymbols represents four kinds of data from the left, selling price,processing section, time of sale, and day of the week of sale.

Since using symbols as the retrieval mark 162 needs less area forprinting the retrieval mark 162 than that required for printing a barcode, the amount of the journal paper 160 to be used can be reduced toachieve economical use. Operation at the recording of the journal data161 and the retrieval mark 162 and operation at the retrieval are thesame as those shown in the flow charts of FIGS. 4 and 5.

In the foregoing, while the description has been made of the journaldevice 10 of the present embodiment which is formed by a simple unit,journal devices, in practical use at an ECR or a POS terminal, are notused as a simple unit but together with a receipt device (receiptprinter) in most cases. The journal device of the present invention canbe therefore used not only as a simple unit but also as areceipt/journal device with a receipt device mounted thereon.

Receipt devices are devices having a function of printing purchasecontents on receipt paper and cutting the printed receipt paper for thepurpose of handing a customer paper on which purchase contents areprinted. Mounting a receipt device on the journal device 10 of thepresent embodiment enables the journal device to be applied to variousECRs and POS terminals to improve versatility.

As described in the foregoing, the journal device of the presentinvention enables quick retrieval of target journal data among numerousjournal data printed on journal paper by printing, at the time ofprinting of journal data on journal paper, a retrieval mark indicativeof information specifying the journal data at the same time and at thetime of retrieval of journal data, designating information to bespecified by the retrieval mark to conduct retrieval, thereby improvingefficiency of retrieval processing.

In addition, taking up journal paper by two take-up means each havingdriving means enables the journal paper to run in two directions, thedirection from one take-up means to the other and its oppositedirection. When retrieving journal data recorded on journal paper inuse, the journal device is allowed to directly proceed to retrievalprocessing without resetting the journal paper on the take-up means,whereby labor required for proceeding to the processing can be reduced.

Furthermore, since by storing information represented by a retrievalmark corresponding to latest journal data in the journal device, it ispossible after the completion of the retrieval of journal data to rewindthe journal paper while collating with a retrieval mark to quicklyreturn to a recording position of the journal data recorded last, laborrequired for proceeding to journal data recording processing can bereduced.

Although the invention has been illustrated and described with respectto exemplary embodiment thereof, it should be understood by thoseskilled in the art that the foregoing and various other changes,omissions and additions may be made therein and thereto, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore,the present invention should not be understood as limited to thespecific embodiment set out above but to include all possibleembodiments which can be embodied within a scope encompassed andequivalents thereof with respect to the features set out in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A journal device for printing data accompanyingproduct sales on journal paper, comprising:a printing unit for printingjournal data on the journal paper, as well as printing a retrieval markindicative of information specifying the journal data; an operation unitfor specifying journal data to be retrieved among the journal dataprinted on the journal paper and for designating information representedby the retrieval mark; a reading unit for reading the retrieval markprinted on the journal paper to extract information represented by theread retrieval mark; a printer control unit for receiving input ofinformation extracted by said reading unit and for collating theinformation with information designated by said operation unit toretrieve a retrieval mark containing target information; and a journalpaper running unit, controlled by the printer control unit, for runningthe journal paper for printing processing of journal data and theretrieval mark by said printing unit and for reading processing of theretrieval mark by said reading unit, said journal paper running unitincluding a first journal paper take-up unit and a second journal papertake-up unit, each having a driving mechanism, said journal paperrunning unit adapted to run the journal paper in a forward directionfrom said first take-up unit to said second take-up unit and in abackward direction from said second take-up unit to said first take-upunit, wherein, when retrieving the journal data recorded on the journalpaper in use, said printer control unit controls said journal paperrunning unit to run the journal paper in the backward direction, andwherein when the device proceeds from retrieving the journal data toprinting processing, said printer control unit, by storing informationrepresented by the retrieval mark corresponding to the journal datarecorded last and by collating information extracted by said readingunit with said stored information, controls said journal paper runningunit to run the journal paper up to a recording position of the journaldata recorded last.
 2. The journal device as set forth in claim 1,wherein the retrieval mark is a bar code representing a sequence ofnumbers indicative of information specifying the journal data.
 3. Thejournal device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the retrieval mark is aseries of symbols in which specific symbols denoting the contents of theinformation are disposed at a position specified by each kind ofinformation specifying the journal data.
 4. The journal device as setforth in claim 1, wherein after printing the journal data, said printingunit prints the retrieval mark corresponding to the printed journal databelow the printing position of the journal data.
 5. The journal deviceas set forth in claim 1, wherein before printing the journal data, saidprinting unit prints the retrieval mark corresponding to journal data tobe printed above the printing position of the journal data.
 6. Thejournal device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:communicationunit to be connected with a host device which executes variousprocessing accompanying product sales, wherein, besides said operationunit, communication from said host device specifies journal data to beretrieved among the journal data printed on the journal paper anddesignates information represented by the retrieval mark.
 7. A journaldevice for printing data accompanying product sales on journal paper,comprising:a printing unit for printing journal data on the journalpaper, as well as printing a retrieval mark indicative of informationspecifying the journal data; an operation unit for specifying journaldata to be retrieved among the journal data printed on the journal paperand for designating information represented by the retrieval mark; areading unit for reading the retrieval mark printed on the journal paperto extract information represented by the read retrieval mark; a printercontrol unit for receiving input of information extracted by saidreading unit and for collating the information with informationdesignated by said operation unit to retrieve a retrieval markcontaining target information; and a journal paper running unit,controlled by the printer control unit, for running the journal paperfor printing processing of journal data and the retrieval mark by saidprinting unit and for reading processing of the retrieval mark by saidreading unit, wherein when the device proceeds from retrieving thejournal data to printing processing, said printer control unit, bystoring information represented by the retrieval mark corresponding tothe journal data recorded last and by collating information extracted bysaid reading unit with said stored information, controls said journalpaper running unit to run the journal paper up to a recording positionof the journal data recorded last.